Heiress
by reminiscent-afterthought
Summary: No-one really expected Lily Luna to wind up in Gryffindor. And she had different ambitions anyway.


**A/N: **Written for autumn-midnights (Jess) through the Gift-Giving Extravaganza. She requested a Slytherin Lily Luna centric (amongst other options), and this is what popped up.

And just under the wire, thanks to me moving in the middle of January and just starting my masters. But I did it. :D

Enjoy Jess!

* * *

**Heiress**

No-one really expected Lily Luna to wind up in Gryffindor. She is overzealous and brash and impatient but not altogether brave, and neither of her brothers had gone into Gryffindor anyway.

Albus hadn't been much of a surprise, winding up cleanly in Ravenclaw and apparently escaping a quarrel with a hat. James however _was_ a surprise, as after four minutes of deliberation, the Hat suddenly slapped him into Hufflepuff. But, as Harry had commented, James was as loyal as they came, underneath all the pranking and teasing and all-round troublemaking that was common to the Gryffindor house but not necessarily a Gryffindor tactic.

With two children in two different houses, many wondered darkly if Lily Luna would wind up in Slytherin and complete the House set. Others muttered that she'd be a Hufflepuff like her eldest brother, a disgrace to the Potter name. Not that most who supported the Slytherin theory were much better; the Wizarding world's view of Slytherins had improved by enlarge, but not by a whole lot.

The Weasley-Potter extended family were more accommodating though, so Lily wasn't too worried about landing in the so-called "Dark" house. In fact, after talking at length with her father and Aunt Hermione, she thought she could follow in her Aunt and grandmother's footsteps and revolutionise it, should fate choose to put here there.

In fact, she became so fond of the idea after her eleventh birthday that, when she finally had the Sorting Hat on her head, she asked if she was a fit Slytherin.

And the Sorting Hat laughed. 'You know what your brother said to me?' he asked. 'Young Albus muttered the entire time about being anywhere but. And your father did the same.'

She'd heard both stories from her father after Al's sorting, and they were both amusing and sad. Her father had even admitted afterwards that even if he had the chance, he wouldn't change those words he said to the Hat, for it to place him in Gryffindor – even if he may have wound up there anyway.

Lily didn't like that too much, but she understood how Slytherin would have pained her father, and she was very fond of him.

'I want to be in Slytherin,' she said stoutly to the Hat though. 'Aunt Hermione was able to change the world's views of House Elves; I want to change their look on Slytherin.'

She didn't say why. There were a number of reasons: the way cousin Rose always tiptoed around Scorpius Malfoy, the way most people looked at his father, how few students there were in Slytherin compared to the others and how they were always the target of bullying except for the few Gryffindors who took pity. And then there was the story of Severus Snape, which always made her cry and Al look depressed – though the pair of them

The Hat hummed a bit, before commenting: 'You're quite ambitious for your youth, and I think you're strong enough to follow through. Goodness, it'll be nice to be able to shout Slytherin as many times as the other houses.'

They laughed together, before the Hat shouted out: 'Slytherin!'

And the Great Hall and whisperers at home fell silent.

* * *

Within a few days, whispers had gone from trying to guess her house to guessing the reasons she'd wound up in it. Some were open enough about Slytherin's ambitions: Severus Snape was a prime example, being the creator of the Wolfsbane potion that had eased the suffering of so many werewolves. And that paled in significance to what he did in the Wars…though few knew.

But those sorts of people were very few, and most of the world remembered people like Voldermort and the Death Eaters. And they didn't know Peter Pettigrew, who had been a traitor of the worst kind and Gryffindor. They didn't remember the sad little orphan who'd long since been buried.

Lily was probably the better placed to know the true potential of Slytherin, being the child and the niece of the heroes of the Second Wizarding War. She also had the best role-models: her father who'd stood up against Voldermort himself, her aunt and uncle and mother who'd all stood by him despite their own odds. Add that to Hermione's revolution in the Ministry, Ginny rising up against expectations and her brothers and some stiff competition to get her happily ever after, and Ron's struggle with the shadows – and not to even mention the rest of her extended family – she was well prepared in dealing with being against the majority.

But it wasn't as easy as she had thought, to settle into Slytherin. Because, just as most glared against Slytherin, Slytherin glared against most. Including her, daughter of the hero who'd, without ill intent, left Slytherin House in the mud. Because Lily knew Harry had no particular ill will to Slytherin; it was what Slytherin represented to _him_ as a person that affected his views.

But it was hopeless trying to explain that to the rest of the world. Still, she was determined to change what was now her home away from home. Somehow.


End file.
